


Don't Open 'Till Doomsday

by MaMarshmallow



Category: 5 Seconds of Summer (Band)
Genre: F/M, fallout shelter, mention of the other boys - Freeform, nuclear war AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-12
Updated: 2015-05-12
Packaged: 2018-03-30 06:40:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 16,037
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3926689
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MaMarshmallow/pseuds/MaMarshmallow
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Fallout shelters are apparently a good place to meet possible love interests.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Don't Open 'Till Doomsday

**Author's Note:**

  * For [horannwho](https://archiveofourown.org/users/horannwho/gifts).



> First of all, wow. This fic was intended to be maybe a few chapters, not 16k, but here we are with the longest piece I've ever written! And it feels good!  
> The title comes from the Misfits song "Don't Open 'Till Doomsday".  
> DISCLAIMER: I don't own 5 Seconds of Summer or anyone in it/ affiliated with them. This is purely FICTIONAL and fun.  
> This fic is dedicated to Demi for all the fics I meant to write for you and just never got to. So this one's for you pal.  
> Also, thanks to Vy, Janin, and anyone else who gave me lovely ideas along the way. If I forgot you, punch me and yell at me so I can properly acknowledge you because sometimes my memory is trash.  
> Anyway, after months and months of work it's finally here for you to enjoy!

_The United States Department of Defense has issued a civil danger warning for the Continental United States._

  
_A Nuclear strike is eminent._

  
_Estimated time of detonation is:_

  
_30 Minutes_

  
_Please remain calm and move to you nearest fallout shelter or private underground bunker._

  
_If you cannot do so, move to the innermost area of the building and take cover. Do not take cover near windows or doors._

  
_A nuclear explosion will cause wide range damage and will leave residual radiation._

  
_Follow all instructions inside public fallout shelters and private bunkers._

  
_Keep a working, battery powered radio nearby for further updates._

  
_The United States Department of Defense has issued a civil danger warning for the Continental United States._

***

Another thunder storm warning? I thought as I followed the sound of the emergency alert system to the kitchen. I sat down at the table and rested my chin in my hand. This wasn't the screen they usually show during weather statements. This was just a blue screen with scrolling words. I watched with numb limbs and my heart hammering against my chest as the words scrolled up the screen while the automated voice read along. Is this even happening? When the words scrolled by again, the message restarting, the estimated time was now down to 27 minutes.

  
"Victoria, let's go!" My mom shouted as she grabbed my upper arm and pulled me up from the kitchen chair and down the hall to the front door. "Good thing I picked this old apartment building, huh? Not such a piece of junk after all since it has a fallout shelter in the basement."

  
I just nodded, unable to form words yet. I followed my mom down the crowded hall, pushing along with other frantic tenants while we all made our way to the elevators. My mom wrapped an arm around my shoulders and pulled me close so we wouldn't lose each other in the flow of the small crowd.

  
"We'll be fine, everything will be fine." She murmured as we waited in a mass of people for the only two elevators on our floor.

  
I was still pleasantly numb, save for my heart racing, but I didn't feel cold or clammy. I wasn't on the verge of throwing up or fainting which was odd. I panic at everything, I always have. My mom kept glancing down at me, probably waiting for a total and complete meltdown. I was waiting too but my body was in between fight or flight mode, which was apparently just numbness. After about five minutes of waiting in the crowd, an uproar began. There was shouting and pushing backwards from the elevators.

  
"They're broken! They stopped! Take the stairs!" A man yelled over us with his hands cupped around his mouth. He pointed down the hall and soon, everyone was moving as one down to the opposite end of the hall where the stairwell was.

My mom and I shared a look before beginning to jog. Since we were near the back of the group, we reached the stairs first and pushed through the door. I held the rail as I hurried down, making sure I didn't fall. It sounded like a stampede behind me. I could hear people sobbing and screaming to move faster, I heard kids asking their parents what was going on. I felt nothing. I felt like a ghost just drifting down flight after flight with my mom beside me.

  
On the ground floor, we poured into the lobby and found two men in military combat uniforms directing people towards another set of stairs I had never seen before. The door to this hallway was always closed and had no window or label. My mom grabbed my arm and pulled me forward.

  
"Please stay calm but hurry!" The military men shouted to the crowd behind us, their voices becoming quieter as we descended into a different basement of the building.

  
The walls were cold grey concrete. I slid my hand along it as we moved down, down, down. The further we went, the colder it became. When we reached the bottom, another man in a military uniform was waiting there. He halted the crowd and began to count.

  
"Move along." He instructed, so we did.

  
We moved down a short hall lit by fluorescent lights and smelling of mildew. The only thing I could think of is how we were like a herd of cattle, being instructed to move here and there. My mom's constant hold on my arm was the only thing grounding me. I know once she lets go, I'm going to crack. The crowd began to spread out now in the wider hall as we tentatively moved deeper into the bunker. At the end of the hall, there was a wide open room filled with other people sitting at tables or just milling around. Some were crying, some were comforting the ones crying. Others were simply staring off past the concrete walls. I was led to a table with two empty chairs and urged by my mom to sit down. She released my arm and began stroking my hair when my shortness of breath picked up.

  
"I remember when my mom taught me about these shelters, back when the Cold War was happening." She said in a soothing voice. I tried to swallow but my mouth felt like sand paper and cotton balls. "I never thought we'd ever have to think about using them ever again."

  
A loud slam came from down the hall and I nearly jumped out of my skin as I gripped the chair beneath me. Now my heart was in my throat and the room began to tilt slightly. The soldier who was waiting at the bottom of the stairs walked briskly into the room and the quiet murmuring faded.

  
"As you are aware, there is a nuclear attack on the US as we speak. Detonation is in approximately five minutes, Lord have mercy on us all. Those of us who have made it in here and other shelters are lucky. Those who didn’t, well, it'll be over before they know it."

  
I inhaled sharply at the thought of thousands and thousands of people out in the streets looking for a shelter and just not making it. The fingers running through my hair sped up. My mom must be thinking the same.

  
"This shelter was stocked by the local Department of Defense immediately after receiving word of a highly likely nuclear strike. In the provisions room we have enough supplies for twenty-eight days, which is how long we will be down here. We have MRE's, dried foods, water for drinking and water for personal hygiene, flashlights, batteries, blankets, and radios. The door at the end of the hall where you came in has an automatic lock that cannot be overridden except from the outside. When the twenty-eight days are up, the door will unlock itself or military personnel will come unlock it. Do you have any questions?"

 

The room was deadly silent except for a few sniffs and sobs. The soldier nodded his head solemnly.

  
"My name is First-Lieutenant Richard Day but you may address me as Rick or sir and for the next twenty-eight days, I will be in command."

I watched as Rick removed his combat helmet, revealing dark hair that was shaved close and neat. The room waited with baited breath as he took an empty chair for himself and sat down casually, as if there wasn't a nuclear bomb hurtling towards Earth at any minute. My heart began to slow along with my mom's fingers running through my hair.

  
An older man in the front row raised his hand. "What are the orders now, sir?"

  
Rick cleared his throat and sat up straighter, pulling a portable radio from his combat vest and turning it on with a click. Static filled the room and I startled a bit at the sound. My mom patted my shoulder. The static was adjusted until the civil danger warning came through loud and clear. The countdown was now at one minute. Quickly, the room filled with whimpers and sobs. My mom reached around the back of the chair and held me tightly, burying her face in my neck and whispering it's okay like a mantra. When the volume in the room began to pick up over the sound of the radio, Rick stood and asked for silence. The room felt like a vacuum with the collective intake of breath. When the radio broadcast stopped, there was no explosion. There was no Earth-shattering sound or tremors shaking the room. Just silence.

  
"Now, we wait." Rick said calmly before the room erupted into shouts and cries for help and salvation. My vision tunneled and then went black.

 

***

 

I started to come back to consciousness when I was being carried and set onto a small lumpy bed. Keeping my eyes squeezed shut tight, I just let people move and work around me. I felt the bed dip when my mom sat beside me.

  
"I know you're awake in there." She said with a hint of a smile in her voice.

 

I nodded, squinting at the fluorescent lights as I opened my eyes a bit.

  
"You need to relax, I can't have you passing out like that while we're down here. I'm worried enough." My mom patted my hand and stood from the bed. "There's a brief meeting for older adults with Rick I'm going to sit in on. When you're feeling better, go get a drink from the provisions room."

  
When she was gone, I sat up and began to survey the room. Bunk beds and single cots filled the room in rows. Now I understand why Rick was counting heads when we came down here. There was only enough room for a certain amount of people to be sustained. My blood ran cold at the thought of people being denied safety because our shelter had reached capacity. I swung my legs over the edge of the bed and stood, making my way to the door. Down the hall were men's and women's bathrooms and then a door marked PROVISIONS. I carefully pushed the metal door open to find shelves lining the walls and standing in rows. There were hundreds of packets of MREs, boxes labeled with different things like toilet tissue and penicillin, and in the back there were cases of plastic water bottles. I reached forward to grab a bottle from an open pack when a hand wrapped around mine.

  
"Hey, I wanted that one."

  
My eyes followed along the arm that was attached to the hand, which was attached to a boy about my age. His hazel eyes were wide and shiny as he gave me a dimpled smile. But he still hadn't let go of the bottle.

  
"I'm trying to be a gentleman and get you a drink and you're really cramping my style." He said with a chuckle this time.

  
"I- I can get my own drink, thanks." I tried to tug the water from his grasp but he wouldn't budge.

  
"I'm the one who carried you to a bed when you decided to zonk and your mum couldn't move you. The least you can do to thank me is let me bring you water like a gentleman."  
I eyed him for a moment. "How about you tell me your name and let me have that water and we'll call it even."

  
"Only if you let me give it to you while you're lying in bed. I like the damsel in distress thing, it's kinda cute. Makes me feel manly and helpful." The boy giggled and I couldn't help but crack a smile.

  
I sighed. "Fine, I can do that."

 

I tried to pull my hand from under his but again, he wouldn't let me budge.

  
"Are you really going to make us walk while we're holding a water bottle together?" I asked, becoming slightly annoyed.

  
"If it gets you to smile again, I'll do just about anything."

  
Smooth. I rolled my eyes with a playful smirk and led the way out of the provisions room with our hands still joined. People passing us in the hall gave us odd looks but the boy just looked ahead with a goofy grin on his face and honestly, it was a little contagious.

  
When we reached the bed I had been laying on, I sat down. "Okay, can I have my water now?"

  
"Nope." He said, popping the letter P. "You're a damsel in distress, remember? You have to act like it."

  
I gave the boy a look, which he returned with a nod of encouragement, before flopping back onto the bed with my free hand to my forehead to pretend I was fainting.

  
"Come on! Water provisions are limited here, you have to show me you really need this water."

  
I glared at the boy before sighing and resting my hand against my forehead again. "Oh no, the world is ending and my poor little heart just can't take it. Who will protect little ol' me in this scary underground bunker?"

  
The boy released the water and clapped, wiping pretend tears from his eyes. "I will take on the responsibility of protecting you, my damsel in distress. What is your name, delicate flower?"

  
I quickly untwisted the cap and sipped the water before answering.

  
"Victoria. What's yours, my heroic savior?"

  
"Ashton." He said proudly.

 

***

 

The first night in the shelter was hard. There’s no concept of time down here except for the single clock on the wall in each room. Rick set our nighttime curfew from ten pm to six am. Between those hours, we weren’t allowed out of the dorm room unless we had to use the bathroom. At the meeting my mom had gone to, Rick chose guards, nurses, and other positions of responsibility. At night, there is a guard stationed at the door to the dorm to make sure nobody leaves or goes where they’re not supposed to. The room is pitch dark except for the soft glow of a battery operated lantern that one of the guards is holding next to the door. Lucky for my mom, she was sleeping soundly in the cot next to mine while I’m tossing and turning. Coils from the mattress stuck into all of my pressure points. I finally gave up and sat up, hugging my knees to my chest. My heart rate began to pick up as my mind wandered. I thought about what could be happening above us at this moment. Are buildings collapsed and burning, are people in agonizing pain from radiation poisoning and burns? I heaved in a breath as tears started filling my eyes and spilling down my cheeks. When the body in the bed in front of mine shifted and sat up, I held my breath. Ashton had taken that bed so he could be close by in case I needed something and to keep me entertained while my mom was off at the meeting. We told awful jokes and whispered conspiracies of what could be going on above ground until he fell asleep, leaving me alone with my thoughts.

  
“Pssst.” Ashton leaned over the top frame of his bed. “Are you awake?”

  
I snorted. “No, I’m sleep talking.”

  
In the darkness, I could see him raise his hands in defense. “Fair enough. I thought I heard you sniffle, are you alright?”

  
“Just fine, thanks.” I swallowed the lump in my throat.

  
“Liar, liar pants on fire.” Ashton taunted as he quietly slipped out from between his sheets.

  
He moved almost silently and sat at the foot of my bed.

  
“Let’s get your mind off whatever is going on. Tell me more about you.” He said softly into the darkness as he tucked his feet beneath himself.

  
I cleared my throat, wiping away the tear streak on my cheek before speaking. “I usually go by V not Victoria unless it’s my mom talking to me. I’m in- was in college before this whole mess. I’m afraid of almost everything.”

  
Ashton nodded.

  
“Now you tell me some things about you.” I nudged his knee with my foot.

  
“Alright. I’m from Australia, if you couldn’t tell by my accent. Yes, I love vegemite. And my passion is drumming.”

  
I nodded thoughtfully. “Thank you.”

  
Ashton’s eyebrows pinched together. “For what?”

  
“For stopping me from having an all-out panic attack just a few minutes ago.”

  
His eyes widened in realization. “That’s why you were crying?”

  
“I wasn’t crying.” I insisted but Ashton gave me a stern look and my façade melted away. “I was getting nervous. I haven’t had time to actually process what just happened today.”

  
We were quiet for a moment, out thoughts silently drifting through the murky darkness. The clock on the far wall ticked the seconds away before Ashton spoke.

  
“Do you want to process it together?”

  
I looked at him and shrugged, a small pang of fear echoing in my chest.

  
“So, apparently a bomb dropped.” He stated bluntly. “We made it safely to this weird underground shelter, and now we have to stay down here for a month.”

  
“Yeah and while we’re all cozy and safe here, there are probably hundreds of thousands of people up there,” I pointed to the concrete ceiling, “Dying or suffering and everything is destroyed. We can’t contact family members or friends or anything.”

  
I gasped, trying to pull air into my lungs but failing. The air felt too thin, not enough oxygen to fill my lungs. Ashton’s hand spread over my back as he rubbed soothing circles.

  
“You’re right, there’s nothing we can do. But until then, you’re safe; you have your mum here, and a friend.” He smiled sweetly as he tugged my knees away from my chest. “You just have to breathe and roll with whatever is going on.”

  
Ashton helped me lay back against my pillows so I could breathe properly again. Part of me was thankful that he was here but the other part felt like I was being selfish. Like I’m a burden and he has to babysit me. I shied away from his touch.

  
“I’m okay. Thank you.” I said as I turned over to face the wall. “I think I’ll try and sleep now.”

  
I could almost feel the hurt as Ashton stood from my bed. “Sweet dreams, V.”

  
Soft footsteps padded a short distance away before I could hear the creak of Ashton’s bed springs as he lay down. I mentally punched myself for being so cold to him when he was trying to help but I’m not a charity case and he’s just a boy who happened to be there at the right time. I sighed, stuffing my face into the dusty pillow. Sleep didn’t come easily for me, or Ashton.

 

***

 

I woke up with a start when my shoulder was shaken gently.

  
“It’s okay, it’s just me.” My mom said. “I’m going to get something for breakfast. Would you like anything? I think there’s oatmeal.”

  
“Yes please.” I mumbled.

  
My mom leaned forward, kissed my forehead, and headed out of the room. With my eyes half open and blurry from sleep, I reached for the bottle of water sitting on the floor. I sat up and sipped it. So today begins day one in the shelter. It already felt like a lifetime had passed since we had come down here. My heart leapt into my throat but I swallowed it back down. I can be brave, I thought as I ran my fingers through the knots in my hair. My mom came back into the dorm and handed me a steaming bowl of oatmeal. The warm smell of cinnamon made me smile.

  
“How did you sleep?” She asked as she sat on the mattress beside me.

  
I looked around the room but Ashton was nowhere to be found. We were the only people there except a few younger kids who were still asleep because it was still early. The clock on the wall read almost nine.

  
“I slept okay.” I took a mouthful of oatmeal and chewed thoughtfully.

  
My mom nodded. “I was asked to be one of the cleaning ladies so I’m off to go meet with the others and see what we can do for work. Will you be okay alone?”

  
“Yeah. I made friends with the boy who helped me yesterday.”

  
I took another bite of oatmeal as my mom smoothed a hand over my hair. “He’s a sweet boy. I’ll be around if you need me V. I love you.”

  
“Love you too.”

  
I watched as she left the room, passing Ashton who was on his way in. They exchanged soft smiles.

  
“Sleeping beauty has risen!” He said as he flopped beside me on the bed. “What should we do today?”

  
I glared at Ashton. “Are you kidding me? We’re stuck in this fallout bunker and you’re all happy and excited?”

  
“We have to make the best of this, V. Now finish your oatmeal and let’s make a blanket fort or something.” Ashton said as he took my spoon from my hand and dipping it into the oatmeal. “Open up, here comes the train!”

  
I pressed my lips together.

  
“If you don’t open up I’m going to smear this all over you.”

  
When I opened my mouth to protest I was met with a spoon shoved into my mouth. I pouted and pulled it out. Ashton was nearly wheezing as he laughed.

  
“Your face was awful! You should let me feed you more often.”

  
I sighed and shook my head but giggled anyway. Ashton was right, if we were going to be down here for the next month, we might as well have as much fun as we can.  
I climbed off of my bed and followed Ashton out of the room. The cold concrete surrounding us seemed to look a little softer, a little more forgiving than when I first looked at it. Whatever light and happiness Ashton was made of, it filled the whole bunker.

 

***

 

“We could totally restart our lives, ya know?” Ashton said as we sat at a table in the cafeteria/ lounge thing and shared an MRE of what was supposed to be “Mashed Potatoes with Butter”.

  
I gave him a questioning look. It’s been almost a week and I decided that Ashton was beginning to go a little crazy.

  
“If you could change your name to anything, what would it be?” He asked as he put a spoonful of mush in his mouth and winced.

  
I shrugged. “I don’t know. I like my name.”

  
“Yeah, but think about it.” Ashton flung his arms into the air. “If no records remain of who we were, we could change our identities and be whatever we wanted when that door opens.”

  
I swallowed down the anxiousness that threatened to creep up my throat at the thought of what life will be like after this. Ashton had been good at distracting me for the past week, but sometimes panic hits me when I least expect it.

  
“I’ll go first. I would want to be Blake Steel, the greatest rock drummer who ever lived. I’ll tell people stories of how I toured the world with my band and we had platinum albums and fans lining the streets around our hotels. When people ask what happened to the band, I’ll tell them of the great nuclear tragedy that separated me from my band mates and I’m on a mad search to find them and reunite the band!”

  
Ashton’s eyes shimmered with excitement and I had to admit, he was a great story teller. He once told me about his friend Michael who managed to stay awake playing video games for four days straight before he hallucinated and thought Ashton was a giant wallaby.

  
“I’d want to be a hippie named Rain who traveled the world with just a few dollars and a backpack, just the essentials. I’d go to Hawaii and all over Europe and not have a care in the world.”

  
Ashton nearly startled me out of my skin when he smacked his hand on the tabletop. “Then Blake and Rain team up, backpacking far and wide in search of the elusive band members while living off the land!”

  
I laughed, bright and open. “You should write a book.”

  
“And you,” he pointed at me with his plastic spoon. “Should be my muse.”

  
The rest of that afternoon was spent jotting down The Adventures of Blake and Rain on scraps of paper and napkins. For a moment, Ashton had me believing that I was anywhere but a fallout shelter.

 

***

 

Ashton was so happy all the time that it genuinely worried me. Normally, people stuck in situations like this had to cry and let out pent up anger or stress, but Ashton was just as happy-go-lucky as ever. That scared me a bit, until I found him sitting up in his bed when I returned from the bathroom in the middle of the night. It was a long time coming so I had no idea what he was feeling at this point.

  
“Ashton,” I whispered when I got closer. “Why are you up?”

  
He tried to discreetly wipe under his eye with the back of his hand. I didn’t say anything so he wouldn’t feel embarrassed.

  
“I can’t sleep.” His voice cracked in the middle.

  
“Thinking too hard about Blake and Rain?” I gently teased as I sat on his bed.

  
He shook his head and pulled his knees to his chest. “I’m trying, I really am, but God it’s so hard to try and stay positive.”

  
Without thinking, I wrapped an arm around Ashton’s shoulders and pulled him to me. He came easily, resting his head on my collar bone.

  
“It’s okay to be upset.” I whispered into the darkness. “It means you’re human.”

  
We sat like that, breathing and thinking, before he spoke again.

  
“I miss my mum. I couldn’t call her before we were herded into this place. She’s back home in Sydney with my little brother and sister, probably seeing all of this on the news and wondering if I’m still alive.” Ashton’s voice was shaky and my heart broke for him.

  
I was lucky to have my mom down here with me but his was thousands of miles away and anticipating the worst. She won’t know if he’s alive until the doors are open but we had another three weeks left. I held him closer.

  
“I’m trying to be strong for you.” Ashton’s lips brushed over my neck as he spoke.

  
My heart beat had doubled in speed.

  
“Ashton you’re the strongest person I know.” I tried to keep my voice even. “You don’t have to impress me.”

  
“Yes I do.” He nodded and his curls tickled my cheeks. “You’re my damsel in distress and I’m your knight in shining armor here to protect you.”

  
I chuckled quietly. “Well, you’re doing a good job already. It’s okay to let down once in a while.”

  
Ashton sniffled and nodded again. I felt warm tears seep through my sleep shirt.

  
“You’re my delicate flower tonight.” I pushed him back so he was lying on his pillows and I laid down beside him, pulling him into my chest. “Now I get to protect you for once.”

  
“Can I be a daisy?” He asked with a quiet giggle.

  
“You can be anything you want as long as I get to return the favor of protecting the protector.”

  
While Ashton’s breathing slowed, my thoughts raced along with my heart. This sweet boy was the reason why I was surviving so well in this concrete prison. The least I could do was be there for him in return. As I pulled him closer, he nuzzled his nose into my neck in his sleep. I drifted off soon after with images of Ashton’s lips against mine and a warm boy against my side.

 

***

 

“Can I ask a favor of you?” I asked my mom as I wiped down the sinks in the bathroom.

  
“Sure sweetie. What’s up?” She called from a shower stall that she was spraying down with disinfectant.

  
I took a deep breath and leaned back against the counter. “Ashton really misses his mom so I was thinking we could have dinner together, the three of us, so he feels a little better.”

  
My mom stepped out from the shower stall. “Well of course! You two usually run off and have dinner together so I never want to bother you but I think it would be nice if we made him a little less homesick. I think it would help all of us.”

  
I bit the inside of my cheek, hoping the pain would distract me from the tears that threatened to well up. She must have noticed, being the mom that she is, and I was suddenly pulled into her arms. She ran her fingers through the ends of my hair.

  
“This will all be over soon.” My mom said. “Things won’t be normal right away but we’ll do our best. I’m so glad you have Ashton to help you through all of this.”

 

She kissed my forehead before releasing me.

  
“Let’s plan for six o’clock dinner, alright?”

  
I nodded, smiling at the familiarity of making dinner plans. When the bathrooms were clean and smelling of alcohol, we quit for the day and went our separate ways. I skipped down the hall to the dorms to find Ashton and tell him our plans. When I peeked inside, I found him sitting on his bed with drum sticks in his hands. He was tapping out a rhythm on his mattress.

  
“Mr. Steel, can you tell us a bit of what you’ve been working on recently?” I pretended to hold a microphone to my mouth and then pointed it at him.

  
Ashton looked up and grinned so wide I thought his face would split and rays of sunshine would spill out. “Well, I’m working on the next album. It’s a bit of a doozy but I’m happy with how it’s coming along. Loads of rock influences in this one and I think everyone’s going to really enjoy it.”

  
I held a serious face for all of ten seconds before bursting out laughing. Ashton giggled along before pulling me down to sit beside him.

  
“These are the only thing I grabbed when I ran out of my apartment.” He said as he spun one of the drum sticks, twirling it between his fingers.

  
Ashton was quiet for a moment. Not sad, but thoughtful.

  
“I have a surprise for you. It isn’t much but I hope it makes you feel better.” I said. “I want you to come have dinner with my mom and I. I thought maybe having a sense of family might help you feel a little better. Since your mom is so far away, you can share mine with me.”

  
I watched as Ashton’s bottom lip quivered. “V, that’s the most thoughtful thing anyone has ever done for me.”

  
Suddenly, I was crushed to Ashton’s chest with his arms wrapped tightly around me. I tapped his thigh to signal that I couldn’t really breathe.

  
“Sorry, sorry.” He giggled. “I get a little like the Hulk when I’m happy. Sort of the opposite of the real Hulk.”

  
“Dinner is at six which is in a few minutes so let’s head down to the common room.” I said, but my words were muffled since my face was still stuffed against his chest.

  
He released me and grabbed my hand, pulling me towards the door. His long fingers intertwined with mine and I couldn’t help but smile at the difference in the sizes of our palms. His was warm and calloused and twice the size of mine. We ran, linked by our hands, down the hall. In the common room, my mom was working on mixing two MRE packets with boiling water. Ashton and I picked a table by the front of the room. We could faintly hear the static from the radio in the corner.

  
“Dinner tonight is turkey with stuffing and gravy. I made two so you both can split one and I’ll have my own.” My mom set the steaming packet between Ashton and I with two plastic spoons before sitting down beside us.

  
“Thank you Mrs. Victoria’s mum.” Ashton said with a grateful smile.

  
My mom waved him off. “You can call me Marie. So, Ashton, you have quite an accent. Australia, correct?”

  
“Yes ma’am.” He said proudly. “From the Sydney area.”

  
My mom placed a hand over her heart. “Oh, what I wouldn’t give to be able to visit such a beautiful place.”

  
I watched on for the remainder of dinner as my mom asked Ashton about his home and school while Ashton blushed and laughed and looked so genuinely happy. My heart swelled with pride knowing that I had made his time here a little easier. It was the least I could do to make up for what he’s done for me.

 

***

 

On day ten, Rick held a meeting for all occupants to attend in the common room. Ashton, my mom, and I slid into seats at an empty table while the room filled up. Sometimes I forgot just how many people were in this shelter with us. Ashton was so good at distracting me that most of the time it felt like just he and I were the only two people in the shelter, sometimes in the world. Ashton patted my thigh under the table and left his hand there. I didn’t mind. His warmth seeped through my jeans and calmed me.

  
“Let’s get right to it.” Rick’s voice was loud and assertive. “Rations of food and water are on track and will continue to be if we use them sparingly like we have been. There have been no updates as of yet which means all military shelters are still locked as well. Things are going to plan.”

  
“He’s saying all of the good things so he can save the bad stuff for last.” Ashton whispered. “Watch.”

  
My heart skipped a beat. What could possibly have gone bad already?

  
“Unfortunately,” Rick continued. “One of our occupants has developed the flu. We have nurse with the individual and they have been quarantined in the dorm. We ask that you do not make contact with them or their bed. Wash your hands after touching door knobs or any other commonly touched surface and do not wipe your eyes or put your hands in your mouth. Luckily, most of us are above the age of ten so we shouldn’t have a problem with someone sucking their thumbs and spreading it around. If you show signs of sickness- headache, fever, fatigue, nausea, stomach cramping- report it to me immediately so we can take proper care of it. That’s all for today, you are dismissed.”

  
Ashton removed his hand from my thigh and I missed his touch immediately.

  
“Are you both feeling alright?” My mom asked as she kissed my forehead, and then Ashton’s, checking for fever.

  
Ashton giggled. “Yes mum.”

  
I nodded my head. “I’m okay.”

  
“Try and stay out of the dorms then while the sick person is recovering. From what I’ve heard, I don’t want either of you catching it.” My mom grimaced, probably having a flashback to cleaning up vomit in the bathroom this morning when the woman had first gotten sick.

  
Ashton and I said goodbye to my mom as she headed off to clean around the shelter while we stayed in the common room.

  
“What if my mom gets sick from cleaning up the puke?” I asked, a cold sweat beginning on the back of my neck.

  
Ashton laced our fingers together on top of the table. “She was wearing gloves when I saw her getting supplies from the provisions room this morning. I think she’ll be fine.”

  
I swallowed hard and nodded but the feeling of panic wouldn’t subside. Through the chatter in the room I heard that the woman who had the flu was fairly old, but not quiet elderly. What if she passes away from it? What would we do with the body? I closed my eyes tight and took deep breaths.

  
“That’s it, just breathe.” Ashton’s hand was rubbing circles into my back. “Everything is okay. Hopefully it’s just her who is sick and nothing else will happen.”

  
Ashton may have spoken too soon.

  
As the afternoon progressed, Ashton was becoming lethargic and tired. He didn’t have the usual enthusiasm or glimmer in his eyes when we talked. By early evening, a light sheen of sweat covered his body and he was shivering. I remembered his warm hand on my thigh at the meeting and thinking that it felt hotter than normal.

  
“Fever of one-oh-two. They always spike in the evening.” The woman who was the nurse for the shelter wiped the digital thermometer off with an alcohol wipe before holding out two ibuprofen pills in her latex-gloved palm. “Take these and drink lots of water. I’ll be back to check on you in an hour.”

  
Ashton was tucked into his bed while I was told to sit on mine, a safe distance away. My heart hadn’t slowed since he had said he felt chilly but was radiating heat like a furnace. I knew it had to have been a fever so we reported it to the nurse who sent him to his bed immediately.

  
“I think I have the flu.” Ashton’s teeth chattered between his words.

  
I smacked my palm on my forehead. “Oh, really? I couldn’t tell by your fever.”

  
Ashton took his pills with the last of his water. He shook the empty bottle weakly.

  
“Can-can you get me a water please?” He asked.

  
I rushed out of bed. “Of course. I’ll be right back.”

  
“No! don’t leave me.” He whined.

  
I shot him a look. “Ashton, I have to leave to get you a water.”

  
“Oh yeah. Okay.”

  
I slipped out of the dorm and into the hall and took a deep breath of fresh, well fresher than in the dorm room, air. My mom was just leaving the provisions room smelling like rubbing alcohol.

  
“Oh honey, I heard about Ashton. I’m sure he’ll be just fine.” She pulled me to her.

  
I resisted for a moment before succumbing and curling into her arms. “I don’t want you to get sick. You’ve been cleaning up after the sick woman and Ashton thinks he got sick because he was in the provisions room when you were in there after cleaning up puke and-“

  
My mom shushed me. “I feel fine. Don’t worry now because that lowers your immune system and I don’t need you getting sick too.”

  
I nodded and she released me with a kiss on the forehead.

  
“No fever. You’re just fine as long as you keep your hands clean. Keep some of these with you.” My mom handed me a bunch of anti-bacterial wipes. “I’m just finishing some mopping in the common room and then I’m going to bed. You get some good sleep too.”

  
She passed by me and headed down the hall while I continued into the provisions room. I grabbed a bottle of water each for Ashton and I, and then grabbed a handful more of the anti-bacterial wipes. Just in case.

  
Back in the dorm room, Ashton was wincing and writhing on his bed. I rushed over and knelt beside him.

  
“So hot.” Ashton whined. “I’m too hot.”

  
His blankets sat in a pile at the foot of his bed but he was sweating through his t-shirt and pajama pants. My cheeks warmed.

  
“Do you want me to help you out of your shirt?” I asked tentatively.

  
Ashton nodded furiously. “Please.”

  
Snaking one arm under his shoulders, I helped him up so he was sitting. He raised his arms into the air weakly. I sighed and tugged the material over his head and tossed the damp shirt on the floor. Ashton flopped back onto his pillow and sighed. I swallowed hard. Ashton was lying in front of me, his toned body covered in a light film of sweat. He was muscular, as if he had worked out daily before all of this, and he was tan. I wanted so badly to reach out and touch but before I could finish my thought, he was shivering and wrapping his arms around himself.

  
“Oh God, I’m so cold.” He mumbled.

  
Begrudgingly, I pulled his sheets up to his chin and tucked them in. His shivering subsided but there was a constant look of stress and pain on his face. I felt useless. I wanted to take this sickness away from him so badly.

  
“Here, this should help with the fever.” The nurse stepped around me and placed a cold cloth on Ashton’s forehead. She handed me a second one. “Pat this along his neck near his arteries.”

  
“Thank you.” I said before she rushed off.

  
I carefully peeled the sheet back, exposing his neck. I gently dabbed along the column of his throat and he sighed.

  
“Please get some rest.” I whispered. “Sleep will help.”

  
Ashton was out before I finished my sentence. Refusing to leave his side, I spent most of the night dabbing cold cloths over Ashton’s head and neck while waking him up periodically to make him drink water. I was exhausted but I couldn’t leave his side. I didn’t know if he realized I was helping him because the fever had him drifting in and out of consciousness through the night, but I never stopped. I dabbed and whispered stories to him until the early hours of the morning when the nurse urged me to at least sleep for a few hours.

 

***

 

A few hours ended up being much more than a few hours. I woke up, stretched, and looked at the clock on the wall across the room. It was just after eleven in the morning. I shot out of bed and knelt beside Ashton. He was snoring softly with his hands clutching his stomach. I heard the nurse’s shoes squeaking behind me.

  
“Just after you went to bed he started vomiting. He’s been keeping down water over the last hour so that’s improvement but it’s the bug so he’s got a few hours left to go.” She explained as she set a small empty garbage can beside his bed.

  
“How’s the woman over there?” I asked, gesturing to the bed across the room that held the older woman.

  
The nurse looked down at her shoes. “Not so good. She’s severely dehydrated and she’s started throwing up blood. I don’t see it lasting much longer but we’ve given her our best pain medicine so she’s comfortable.”

  
My eyes felt like they were about to pop out of my head.

  
“Don’t worry about him, he’s healthy. He’ll be just fine. The woman had so many health problems that we couldn’t treat. Her illness is much more than the flu.” She explained before patting my shoulder. “You’re taking great care of him but make sure you take care of yourself too.”

  
I nodded and thanked the nurse before she hurried off.

  
Ashton was still asleep so I decided it would be okay if I went and got some breakfast while he was stable. I passed my mom in the hallway on the way to the common room.

  
“How’s Ashton?” She asked.

  
“He’s okay, just sleeping right now, but he started throwing up in the early morning.”

  
She nodded. “Are you keeping your hands clean and taking care of yourself?”

  
I rolled my eyes. “Yes, I am. I was just going to get some breakfast while he’s asleep still.”

  
“Good idea.” My mom gave me a quick hug. “I’ll be around if you need me. I love you.”

  
“I love you too.”

  
We went our separate ways.

  
The common room was busy for lunch time and the fact that nobody wanted to be near the sick people, or me for that matter. I was getting ugly stares as I walked through the room and I knew that by now, everyone had seen me taking care of Ashton and didn’t want me spreading the flu. I kept my head down as I quickly whipped up a bowl of oatmeal and left the room. I ate lunch while sitting on my bed. I was working on jotting some ideas about Blake and Rain on a napkin when Ashton lurched forward and stuck his face into the little garbage can beside his bed. He gasped and gagged as he hurled. In seconds I was by his side, brushing his hair from his face and placing one of the still-wet cloths on the back of his neck. The muscles in his back strained and contracted as his whole body forced the contents of his stomach out. When he was finished, I used the cool cloth to wipe the sweat and spit from his face. Ashton’s eyes fluttered open when I dabbed along his red cheeks.

  
“Are you okay?” He asked, his voice hoarse.

 

“You’re the one with the stomach bug and you’re asking me if I’m okay?”

  
Ashton leaned into my touch as I brushed his hair away from his eyes as they began to drift out of focus.

  
“Yes, I’m okay.” I sighed. “I’m just worried about you.”

  
I helped him lay back onto his pillow, tucking the blankets around him gently, and he was asleep within seconds. Ashton vomited a couple more times throughout the day and into the evening, each time I was there to rub his back and wipe away his sweat. Once he was keeping more water down, I knew it was coming to an end. He had even stopped shivering. The final time he threw up was around ten at night and that’s also when his fever broke. Ashton pulled his face way from the sour-smelling garbage can and his hazel eyes focused on my face. He smiled and I felt relief finally wash over me.

 

“Are you okay?” Ashton asked as he wiped the corners of his mouth with a cloth.

  
I shook my head. “I was so worried about you.”

  
He chuckled as he pulled his sheets back, inviting me to him. “It was just the bug. Come here.”

  
I hesitated but climbed onto his bed, letting him envelope me in his arms. Our bodies slotted together and our legs tangled as he wrapped the blanket over us.

  
“I feel much better.” Ashton whispered into the dark room. “I bet my abs look great too.”

  
I weakly punched his shoulder. Ashton giggled and pulled me closer so my cheek was resting against his bare chest. I could hear the strong thump-thump thump-thump of his heart. A loud clang of metal startled Ashton and I. Squinting through the darkness, I watched as the woman who had the flu was carried out of the room on a board with a sheet covering her body. My heart sank as tears filled my eyes again.

 

“She didn’t make it?” Ashton’s voice rumbled in his chest.

  
I shook my head and let my tears fall freely. They rolled over my cheeks and pooled on Ashton’s skin. He wiped them away gently.

  
“I bet she was a good woman. Her family probably loved her very much and she probably had a very fulfilling life.” Ashton spoke softly as he began carting his fingers through my hair.

  
I was too sad and overwhelmed by the woman’s death to enjoy being cuddled up to Ashton. I hoped, with everything that I had in me, that she would be the only person we would lose in this shelter. Tacking her death onto the never ending list of lost citizens from this bomb was overwhelming. My heart ached for everyone that had died but it ached even more for the people who didn’t know who they had lost yet. Ashton just held me tightly as he twirled my hair around his fingers gently.

 

***

 

Ashton was awake and bright eyed by the next morning. Both my mom and the nurse advised that he stay in bed for one more day of recovery, so he did. With Ashton being bed ridden, he insisted we cuddle to make sure he’s as comfortable as possible for the day. I rolled my eyes but I couldn’t argue. He was still bare-chested and pliant with what felt like miles of warm skin for my fingers to trail over. We were cramped together on his narrow mattress with my head on his chest and his fingers grazing over the skin on my hip.  
“I’m surprised you’re this close to me still after being sick.” He chuckled and I giggled as his chest shook.

  
“If I was going to get sick I think it would have happened by now.” I said.

  
Unfortunately, a few others had developed the stomach flu as well and were shivering away in their beds. I felt awful that I wasn’t helping them like I had helped Ashton but they were strangers to me. My mom, however, had become the nurse’s assistant and was administering ibuprofen and cold cloths when needed.

  
“I had a fever dream about you.” Ashton brushed a lock of hair off of my shoulder.

  
I looked up and met his hazel eyes.

  
“We were living like Blake and Rain but we were just us, Ashton and Victoria.” He said wistfully. “We backpacked through France and you watched me perform with a band as we toured Australia. It was so sick.”

  
I smiled and buried my face in his chest to hide my blush. He squeezed me tighter to him.

  
“You were so beautiful and carefree. I want you to look like that forever.”

 

***

 

Day seventeen in the shelter is when we finally got a transmission over the radio. Ashton and I followed the others, hand in hand, as we filed into the common room where Rick was standing and holding the portable radio. When everyone was seated and quiet, he turned up the volume. Ashton squeezed my hand.

 

_“This is a message from the United States Department of Defense._

  
_Please stay calm. Do not attempt to leave shelters or private bunkers until further notice._

  
_There are no further updates. Please stay calm.”_

  
The tinny voice repeated itself over and over as quiet chatter began to fill the room.

  
“This message means that individuals from the military are beginning to test air quality and radiation from inside the bunkers using probes.” Rick explained as he set the radio on a table. “This is the first step in seeing what kind of radiation and how much of it we are dealing with.”

  
Hands all over the room shot into the air to ask questions. Ashton, my mom, and I all sat quietly as Rick answered them to the best of his ability. Knowing that the DOD was testing the air didn’t take away from the fact that we still had to spend the remaining eleven days down here. People were beginning to become restless. Some even believed that the bomb was a government conspiracy to cover up something much bigger.

  
“As soon as we hear more from the Government, we’ll have more answers. For now, I can only offer what I know. You’re dismissed.”

  
My mom placed a kiss on each of our cheeks before heading off to strip the beds and put clean sheets on for everyone. Ashton and I looked at each other.

  
“So, what do we do for the rest of the afternoon?” He asked as he tipped his chair back onto its hind legs.

  
I shrugged. Lately, we’d been running out of ways to keep ourselves entertained. We had played almost every card game known to man within the first week alone.

  
Ashton ran a hand through his mess of curls. “My hair is getting wicked long. Let’s see how good you are with scissors.”

  
I shook my head wildly. “No way! I’m not cutting your hair.”

  
“Come on,” He giggled. “Just a trim”

  
“Or you could shave it like Rick does with his.”

  
Ashton’s eyes nearly bugged out of his head. “Absolutely not.”

  
I watched as Ashton tugged his fingers through his hair to untangle the knots.

  
“I have an idea.” Grabbing his hand, I pulled him out of the common room and down the hall to the dorm.

  
I gently pushed Ashton so he was sitting on his bed.

  
“I like this idea so far.” He smirked.

  
I rolled my eyes and climbed onto the bed behind him. His hair was a golden mess of wild curls that looked just long enough to tie back into a pony tail and luckily, I had one hair tie on my wrist. I began combing my fingers through his hair and pulling it all back. Ashton hummed in content. When most of his hair was piled into my hand, I wrapped the hair tie around it and marveled at my work.

  
“How does it look?” He asked, turning on the bed to face me.

  
Little curly wisps framed his face and curled at the nape of his neck. I swallowed hard.

 

“You’re blushing, which means I look good.” Ashton said proudly. “Now I have to go see for myself.”

  
He got up and jogged off, leaving me on his bed trying to collect my thoughts. He did look good. I always found Ashton attractive but something in me was quickly changing and I was beginning to find him more than just attractive, he was a whole package deal. He cared, he was genuinely sweet, and he was fit. I quickly collected myself when he strode back into the room.

  
“I look like a hipster surfer or something.” Ashton chuckled. “Let’s add that to the story of Blake Steel, rocking drummer, legendary surfer, and ruggedly handsome ladies man.”

 

***

 

“I have a theory.” Ashton said with his head resting in my lap.

  
We decided to spend the remainder of our afternoon resting on my bed since we had spent the better part of the morning seeing who could do a better handstand. The longer we were down here, the more creative we had to become to keep our sanity and keep ourselves entertained. Ashton won.

  
I absentmindedly ran my fingers through his curls. “Hm?”

  
“What if when we emerge, there are zombies, like, everywhere.” He said, gesturing wildly to the concrete ceiling. “We’ll have to band together and collect weapons like in a video game.”

  
“That would be absolutely terrifying.” I said with a laugh. “I’d probably be the first to go.”

  
“Nonsense,” Ashton scoffed. “Just because you’re my damsel in distress now doesn’t mean you won’t be up there too. You’ll need someone to protect you.”

  
I felt my cheeks warm. He was thinking of staying with me after this whole mess but something in the back of my mind told me to be wary. He made it sound as if he only wanted to stay with me just to protect me, not because he liked me. I snapped out of my thoughts when Ashton poked my cheek.

  
“Are you panicking? You stopped moving and responding.” He said, tilting my chin down so I would meet his eyes.

  
“No, I’m fine. I was just thinking of what weapon I’d want.” I lied.

  
Ashton’s grin was nearly blinding. “I’d want a chain saw but then I would need to find gas for it too. Oh! A baseball bat would be better. It’s a classic.”

  
I giggled and nodded. His childlike excitement was contagious. Again, I thanked whatever fate brought him to me in this horrible time because sometimes I wondered how I would have survived without him by my side.

  
“What are you two giggling about over here?” My mom asked as she sat on the bed next to mine.

  
Ashton sat up. “We were formulating a plan of attack in case there are zombies outside when we are released from here.”

  
My mom rolled her eyes and smiled. “A baseball bat, of course. Can’t beat the classics.”

  
Ashton was astonished, to say the least. He nearly leapt off of the bed to hug my mom.

  
“Marie you are a gem.” Ashton said when he finally pulled away and returned to my bed.

  
“Great minds think alike.” She said with a smile. “I was thinking we could do dinner again, the three of us.”

  
“Absolutely.” I stood and pulled Ashton up with me.

  
We followed my mom down the hall. The common room was quiet, seeing as it was a bit early for dinner.

  
“Have a seat and I’ll go put something together.” My mom said before disappearing.

  
Ashton rested his chin in his palm. “V, your mom reminds me of my mom a lot.”

  
I tried to ignore the wavering in his voice but I could almost feel his pain and longing as if it was pouring off of him. I wrapped my arms around his shoulders and held him tightly.

  
“I’ll share my mom with you as long as your need her.” I whispered into his hair before kissing his temple.

  
When we broke apart, my mom had come back with two MREs.

  
“So, we’ve got lasagna tonight. I can’t wait until we’re out of this God forsaken place so I can make a real lasagna.” She joked and we all chuckled.

  
Ashton’s face was glowing and I knew then, that I would do anything I could to make him look like that more often. With such an infectious happiness, he didn’t deserve this pain and distress that we were all experiencing. None of us did, but especially him.

 

***

 

I was bound to have another breakdown while we were still trapped in the bunker. We were expected to be released in a week so the anticipatory energy was high and that put my anxiety on edge. My mind raced with questions like what if there is literally nothing left and where will my mom and I go. Needless to say, I was almost in hysterics when Ashton came prancing into the dorm with a deck of cards. He dropped them immediately and ran to my side.

  
“Victoria, talk to me.” His thumbs grazed over my cheeks, catching the tears that were flowing freely. “It’s okay. Please talk to me.”

  
I drew in a deep breath but it felt like my body wasn’t absorbing the oxygen. I was collapsing in on myself.

  
“V, everything is okay I promise.” Ashton gently rubbed between my shoulders and pulled me into his lap.

  
His face crumpled as I sagged against him. Ashton was silent as he rocked my slowly from side to side, brushing away tears that seemed like they wouldn’t stop. My heart raced and I was shaking like a leaf in a hurricane.

  
“I’ve got you, my little flower.” Ashton whispered into my cheek.

  
At that, clarity slowly crept into my thoughts. I forced myself to rationalize and calm down. It’s just a panic attack. I’m here, I’m alive, it’s out of my control. I am stronger than this. I gently pushed Ashton’s hands away so I could wipe away the remainder of my own tears. He looked at me with a confused expression.

  
“I- thanks.” I said as I crawled out of his lap.

  
Now, Ashton’s brows pinched together.

  
“I just thought you needed to be held. It’s my job you know, you’re my damsel in distress.”

  
I glared at him. “I can handle my panic attacks just fine, thank you.”

  
“Where is this coming from? I was just trying to help.” He said, dumbfounded.

  
Even I was stricken by my own attitude but I was tired of being a damsel in distress. I had to remind myself that I can take care of myself. So I told him just that.

  
“V I know you’re strong but it’s okay to need people sometimes. I even need you sometimes, and that’s a lot for me to admit.”

  
“I just,” I paused and thought over my words carefully. “I don’t want to be a damsel in distress anymore. I want to be an equal. I am strong.”

  
“Okay. I understand.” Ashton nodded and stood, pulling me up with him. “Can you still be my flower?”

  
“Ashton, I don’t want to be some delicate thing to you.”

  
“No, you’re the flower that grew where nobody else thought it could. You look delicate and beautiful but you bloomed and survived in a desolate place. That shows your strength.”

  
I was taken aback by his words. Ashton pulled me into his arms and with two fingers, tilted my chin up so I would look at him.

  
“You’re the little flower who grew through the cracks in the concrete.”

  
Before I could comment, his lips pressed gently to mine. They were soft and warm and hesitant but confident. I closed my eyes and melted into the kiss. I groaned inwardly when he carefully pulled away.

  
“We can survive this. You can survive this because you are so incredibly strong.”

  
I wish I could say that the kiss took away my anxiety and fears, but it didn’t, that’s not how life works. But that kiss did show me that Ashton recognized my strength and that he believed in me. That’s when I started to believe in me too.

 

***

 

I winced as my mom tugged on a section of hair. It felt like years since I had my hair French braided and now I was sat between my mom’s legs as she did just that. But she wasn’t telling me why.

  
“I told you, I’m under strict orders to not speak a word.” She said as her fingers worked through my hair.

  
I rolled my eyes. Ashton was up to something and I was determined to find out what it was but I hadn’t actually seen him since this morning when he snuck out of his bed. My mom tied off the end of my hair and gave it one last tug for good measure.

  
“It’s too bad you don’t have a nice dress to wear.” She sighed as she looked to the clock on the wall with a mischievous smile. “Anyway, it’s time for me to escort you to the common room.”

  
I followed her down the hall. Whatever Ashton had planned must have taken him a while because this was well thought out. My mom stopped outside of the doorway so I continued in. In the far back corner of the room was a small table set up with two paper plates and plastic silverware. Ashton stood beside a chair that he had pulled out for me, his hair tied back in a messy pony tail.

 

“What is all this?” I asked as I sat in the chair.

  
Ashton pushed it to the table like a gentleman. “I can’t take you out for dinner and a movie so this is the closest I can get to taking you out for a proper date.”

  
I smiled. Ashton was entirely too sentimental but it was endearing.

  
“Your mum cooperated so well by distracting you with cleaning jobs and braiding your hair, I have to give her credit. I thought she would have spilled by now.” Ashton said as he sat down across from me.

  
I shook my head. “Believe me, I tried to get her to crack.”

  
“That she did. Persistent one she is.” My mom said as she arrived at the table with an MRE. “Dinner tonight is ravioli in marinara sauce.”

  
Ashton took my hand over the table as my mom scooped some ravioli onto each of our plates. We thanked her before she hurried off to find something to clean.

  
“Ashton, this is really sweet of you.” I said before taking a bite of my dinner.

  
“I owe you for so much and I want you to know that my feelings for you are serious.” Ashton blushed and looked up through his lashes. “I really like you and I think maybe I’d like to be your boyfriend, if you'll have me.”

 

I took his hand in mine again and squeezed. “I’d really like to be your girlfriend then.”

 

Ashton’s smile was brighter than I’ve ever seen.

  
We continued dinner with small talk about our lives before the bunker. Ashton told me about moving to the US from Australia when he was seventeen and how he really was trying to form a band with his friends. I told him how my parents split up when I was fifteen and that my mom and I have been happily on our own ever since. Conversation was light and easy as it always was.

  
“I have one more thing I’d like to do on our date.” He said as he set his fork down.

  
My cheeks warmed.

  
“Not like that you perv,” Ashton rolled his eyes and giggled. “But that would be a nice ending. I actually want to have a dance with you.”

  
I looked around the nearly empty room. Everyone else had slowly found their ways back to the dorm room when it started getting late.

  
“We don’t have any music.” I said.

  
Ashton smiled. “No, but I like to sing. Come on.”

  
I took his hand as we stood from the table. There was a small space where tables and chairs had been moved, most likely Ashton’s doing. His arm snaked around my waist as he took my hand. I rested my free hand on the back of his neck. We swayed slowly as Ashton hummed a simple tune. It was smooth and quiet before he became more brave and sang out loud. His voice was soft as we moved. I wished that I could stop time at this exact moment. Ashton lifted my chin and pressed his lips to mine. They were so warm and soft, molding to mine with ease. His warmth radiated through me like he was filling me with sunlight. Even in this desolate place, Ashton and I had found a way to be happy, genuinely happy. The bomb may have taken everything away from us, but it brought us together like a blessing in disguise.

 

***

 

“In three days, the bunker door will be opened by the military.” Rick stated as he paced slowly at the front of the common room. “The government has been giving protocol instructions via the radio for the past few hours. When the door is opened, we are to remain in the bunker while it is searched and we are individually evaluated for injuries and other things. Once we are deemed acceptable, we will be taken to a refugee base. I cannot tell you what will happen from there.”

  
I couldn’t believe that we would be out of this concrete hell in just a few days. Ashton squeezed my hand where our fingers were laced together.

  
“We don’t know what to expect up there and I know tension is a bit high so please, remain calm.”

  
We were dismissed after that. Ashton and I stayed at the table where he began shuffling a deck of cards that he had been holding onto since the meeting started.

  
“Where are you going when we’re allowed to leave the refugee base?” I asked as I took the cards he passed to me.

  
“To my mum. I just want to hug her.” He said, his voice small.

  
I nodded.

  
“What about you?”

  
I began rearranging the cards in my hand in suit order. “I don’t know. I’ll go wherever my mom wants to go I suppose.”

  
Ashton’s eyes flashed with excitement. “Come to Australia with me. Your mum can find a place there and she can meet my mum and we can be together.”

  
I bit my lip and smiled. That sounded amazing, to begin a new life in a new country that was far away from all of the loss and destruction of the bomb. My heart swelled at the thought of cookouts with Ashton and our moms, days spent at the beach and late night road trips.

  
“We could live like Blake Steel and Rain.” I said.

  
Ashton grinned and nodded. “You could meet my mates too. They’re kinda weird but I think you’d like them.”

  
By early evening, we were cuddled up in my bed, planning out future, or what we hoped would be our future. That’s when he kissed me again. He dropped feather-light kisses over my cheeks and forehead.

  
“I’m so glad you fainted on the first day here.” He whispered against my temple.

  
Our sweet moment faded away like a dream the moment I punched him in the shoulder.

  
“Ow, I was just telling the truth.” Ashton giggled as he rubbed where I had hit him. “If you hadn’t done that then I never would have gotten to carry you to your bed.”

  
“I’m pretty sure we would have met eventually since we’ve been in an enclosed space for almost a month.” I rolled my eyes.

  
Ashton squeezed my cheeks between his massive palms. “Don’t roll your eyes too much or they’ll roll right out of your head!”

  
This time I buried my face in his chest and laughed. I felt his body shake as he laughed too and wrapped his arms around me again.

  
“I really hope you do come to Australia with me. I don’t think I could deal with being away from you after this.”

  
I nodded, my face still pressed against his shirt. From here I could feel his heart beat a strong and steady _thump-thump thump-thump thump-thump_.

  
“Do I get a cool accent?” I asked as I pulled my face away.

  
“Technically, to me you have a cool accent already.”

  
I nodded. “True, but I want an Australian accent. I want to say stereotypical Aussie things and play with koalas.”

  
Ashton was full out laughing at this.

  
“You’re too cute, you know that?” He said as he caught his breath. “I’ll teach you how to be an Aussie if you come home with me.”

  
My heart lurched at the word home. I wanted to home more than anything in the world right now but my home was obliterated. But maybe home isn’t just a place. Home can be anywhere you want it to be. Or anyone. In this shelter, I had my mom and I had Ashton and I knew as long as I had them with me, I was home.

  
“I am home.” I mumbled.

  
Ashton tipped my chin upward and searched my face. “What did you say?”

  
“I said I am home.” I swallowed the lump forming in my throat. “Home isn’t always a place, it can be people too. I have my mom and I have you here with me. You two are my home.”

  
Warm tears were wiped away by Ashton’s gentile thumbs.

  
“You are home. We’re home.” He whispered before kissing me so softly.

 

***

 

Lying on my bed, I stuffed my face into my pillow. Today is the day. Today is the day that we’re finally released from the bunker and taken to a refugee base. I started thinking about the future again but without crying this time because my thoughts were no longer consumed by fear of what was above or the loss of my home. I thought about my mom and I flying to Australia, starting over, and getting to see Ashton reunited with his mom. I was a ball of anxiety, but the good kind. I felt the mattress dip and my mom’s warm hand brush my hair from my back.

  
“I’m so glad we get to leave.” I said as I turned over onto my back.

  
“Me too.” My mom smiled but it was weak. “What are we going to do now? It’s just you and me.”

  
I sat up. “And Ashton. I talked to him the other day about this and he said we should go to Australia with him, doesn’t that sound great? We could start over and I’m sure the government is setting something up so we can afford a place to live and the essentials.”

  
My mom listened thoughtfully before nodding. “Is that something you’d seriously consider doing? That’s a really big move.”

  
“Of course. I think it would be good for us. Ashton is very hospitable and I’m sure his mom will be too.”

  
“He’s done a lot, for the both of us. I don’t know what I would have done that first day if he hadn’t helped me with you.” She said.

  
I grimaced at the fact that they both keep bringing it up.

  
“Aside from that, I think he’ll be helpful if we move there.” I said before Ashton appeared and sat on my other side.

  
“Did she tell you my idea?” Ashton leaned forward and grinned at my mom. “I think you and my mum would be great friends.”

  
My mom smiled and looked between the two of us. “So it’s settled. Seeing you two so happy makes me happy and I think Victoria is right, this could be really good for us.”

  
For the next half hour, we busied ourselves with making beds and cleaning up, Ashton sticking his drum sticks into his back pocket, before heading down to the common room. We sat at a table near the back corner, almost like the first day. Rick was standing at the front of the room waiting for the noise to die down.

  
“According to the radio transmissions, the military should be arriving shortly. We will be evaluated in an orderly fashion. Impatience and poor manners will not be tolerated. I know we all want to get out of here but pushing and complaining won’t make it go any quicker. I expect all of you to comply with personnel as well as you’ve been cooperating with me.”

  
Rick continued on about safety precautions, how there will be rubble and dangerous debris, and that we are to keep calm, as usual. At this point, it had become a mantra. Keep calm. Keep calm. Keep calm. I remembered an old saying, that if you said something enough times, you’d begin to believe it. With today being the day that we get to leave the shelter, I was starting to think that it was true because I was surprisingly calm. The room took a collective breath in when the bunker door made a loud clang. Nobody moved. Ashton took my hand and draped his other arm over my mom’s shoulder. Everyone watched in silence as four soldiers in camouflage with guns in their hands strode into the room. They immediately went to Rick and chattered quietly. Now my heart was beginning to race. Ashton must have caught on because he began to rub small circles with his thumb over the top of my hand. We sat quietly and waited.

  
“Is anyone here ill or in need of medical attention?” One soldier asked.

  
Everyone in the room shook their heads.

  
“Good.” He spoke again. “I need everyone to line up. Before we take you above ground we will be distributing iodine pills and respirators and then we will take you up to the convoy trucks to get you to the closest base.”

  
When he was finished, we slowly stood and formed a line that wrapped around the outer edge of the room. Ashton kept his hold on my mom and I, whispering and making sure we were both alright.

  
“What about you?” I asked. “Are you okay?”

  
He nodded with a soft smile. “I’m just ready to be out of here.”

  
I squeezed his hand in agreement.

  
The line moved slowly but steadily and after about an hour, more than two thirds of the room had been emptied and we were next. Ashton stepped up to the soldiers first.

  
“Name?”

  
“Ashton Irwin.”

  
He was handed two Dixie cups, one with a pill and one with water while the men took down his name and handed him a mask with filters on it. They instructed him on how to put it on before clearing him and waving my mom forward.

  
“Name?”

  
“Marie Carver.”

  
Again, they handed her the Dixie cups and a mask before ushering her in the direction of the bunker door. I stepped forward hesitantly.

  
“Name?”

  
I swallowed hard, as my heart rate sped up. “Victoria Carver.”

  
I watched as the soldier to my left scribbled down my name on a clipboard before two cups were handed to me. I downed the pill and water, thankful that my mouth no longer felt like cotton. I was then handed the mask.

  
“Just pull it over your head, pull the straps nice and tight and take a few breaths to make sure you’re getting air.” The soldier whose name tag said Wilder instructed as he mimed pulling on the straps.

  
With shaking hands, I pulled the mask on and breathed deeply. Wilder nodded and then pointed towards the door. Ashton and my mom had waited behind, to the disdain of the soldier waiting nearby.

  
“Move along please.” He said in a monotone voice.

  
Ashton intertwined our fingers and pulled me down the hall. My mom took my other hand as we reached the stairs. This was really it. Beyond this building could be anything. There could be nothing at all, the conspiracies could have been true but here we were taking precautionary iodine pills and wearing respirators. Ashton, ever the brave one, led the way up the stairs. The lobby of the building was silent. Our footsteps echoed as we crunched over dirt and small bits of rubble that covered the floors. The windows were shattered and blown out. Outside, there were two covered convoy trucks where soldiers wearing masks similar to ours waited. The direct sunlight overhead was almost blinding. I hadn’t seen then sun in twenty eight days and when I thought back, I was surprised I hadn’t gone insane. The light warmed my hair and cheeks as I looked around. Buildings were still standing but the windows had been smashed, garbage and papers flitted down the street, and stagnant puddles of water sat unmoving. I shut my brain off, willing myself not to overreact. One by one we were helped into the back of a truck with others from the shelter. I peered out of the back and looked out at the city. Everything was eerily quiet and desolate. I wanted to throw up.

  
“Doing okay?” Ashton asked between my mom and I.

  
My mom nodded. I stared ahead.

  
“V, you’re going to be alright.” Ashton’s usually soothing voice was muffled by his mask.

  
I pulled air in and exhaled. In and out. I had to keep it together at least until we got to the base, then I could freak out. My heart thudded at double speed. Ashton just rubbed the back of my hand gently. A few minutes later, one of the soldiers from the bunker peeked his head into the back of the truck, pointing and counting before nodding.

  
“We’ll be taking you to a base that’s just under an hour from here. In the metal container at the front of the truck is a stash of water bottles and crackers. Remain seated until we arrive and you will be given instructions from there.”

  
The soldier disappeared and the truck engine roared to life. I nearly jumped out of my skin. We take for granted the small things in life, like the sounds of cars and birds and just everyday sounds. I hadn’t realized it had been a month since I had heard an engine. The truck lurched forward and we were on our way.

 

***

 

The convoy rolled into an empty airplane hangar before the engines cut off. Wilder appeared at the opening in the back of our truck, tugging his mask off as the hangar doors shut with a loud clang.

  
“You may remove your respirators and exit the vehicle. Stay in this area until your name is called by an officer. You will then be taken to the medical wing to be evaluated more extensively and sent off to wash up.”

  
I breathed a sigh of relief but my anxiousness was still prevalent.

  
Ashton slipped his mask off and smiled. “We made it.”

  
“I can’t wait to take a real shower.” My mom said as she shook her hair out.

  
All I wanted to do was get away from this mess. I wanted to be in Australia right now instead of this unfamiliar military base but I’ll take what I can get. After pulling off my respirator, I squeezed Ashton’s hand and followed him out of the back of the truck. Everyone from the bunker formed a tight cluster, afraid to be taken away from each other after being stuck in each other’s company for so long. I was sure that strangers had become close friends like Ashton and I did. Again, relief washed over me at the thought that I had made it out of a nuclear strike alive with my mom, and I had gained Ashton. He really was my blessing in disguise. Wilder began calling names and pointing to a door across the hangar. My mom and I were tucked underneath Ashton’s arms like we were glued together.

  
“Irwin, Carver, Carver, you’re next.”

  
We shuffled along in our little group until we reached the door. My blood began to run cold with fear of what could be behind the door. Thinking logically, I reminded myself that we’re just getting checked out and then sent to get cleaned up, but the unknown was always my biggest fear. And going to the doctor’s. Ashton led us through the door, into a white hallway that smelled like rubbing alcohol and bleach. My old sneakers squeaked on the tiles towards a sign that said FIRST AID. Inside the room was a desk similar to a nurse’s station where a friendly looking woman in pink scrubs greeted us. She took our height and weight before pointing down a hall lined with doors.

  
“Mr. Irwin you can go into exam room three, Mrs. Carver room two, and Miss Carver room one.”

  
The moment Ashton and I were no longer touching, my body nearly went into frenzy. I was shaking like an earthquake and almost gasping for air.

  
“It’s just a check-up, V. Everything is fine.” Ashton spoke soothingly before disappearing into his exam room and closing the door.

  
My mom kissed my forehead before ushering me into my exam room and closing the door. It looked like any other doctor’s office. The table had white paper on it and the counter top was lined with apothecary jars filled with cotton balls and tongue depressors. On the exam table was a folded up hospital gown with little flowers printed on the blue cloth. I focused on breathing deeply as I hoisted myself up onto the exam table. Since I was in room one, the doctor came to me first. He knocked twice before letting himself in and closing the door behind himself. He couldn’t have been younger than thirty and he had big brown doe eyes. I relaxed a bit when he smiled.

 

“I’m Doctor Parsons.” He offered his hand and I took it, giving it a fairly strong shake. “I’d just like to do a basic physical examination, if that’s alright.”

  
I swallowed hard. Doctor’s offices and hospitals had always given me the creeps because of all of the sickness and disease and I always expected them to find something deadly wrong with me. I nodded in agreement before steadying my breathing.

  
“I’ll just step out while you put a gown on. Knock on the door when you’re all settled.”

  
Dr. Parsons stepped out of the room. I did what I was told and stripped off the t-shirt and jeans I was wearing. I hadn’t realized how dingy they looked until they were piled on the floor near the trash can. When I finished pulling the thin material over my body, I knocked gently on the door.

  
“Have a seat and we’ll see what’s going on.” Dr. Parsons said with a soft smile.

  
His demeanor calmed me. At first I thought he was overcompensating because he knew I had just emerged from a fallout shelter after a nuclear attack but I had a feeling he was naturally a cheery and gentile person. We went through a basic physical exam like any other, with him asking about my medical history while he poked and prodded. When he was finished, he jotted some notes on a file before pocketing his pen.

  
“You’re quiet healthy but you’re a bit underweight which is to be expected after living on emergency food supplies for a month. Since you seem to be showing signs of anxiety, I’d like you to visit the base’s therapist to have a chat. Other than that, you’ve got a clean bill of health.”

  
I sighed in relief. If getting a psych exam for my anxiety was the worst of this, I was in the clear. “Thank you.”

  
“You can leave your old clothes here, they’ll be disposed of. Keep the gown on and head down the hall. Follow the signs to the barracks and you can shower in the bathrooms there. Your name will be on a bed with clean clothes and shoes.”

  
Dr. Parsons left the room with a nod, leaving the door open. I wanted to wait for Ashton but the need to get away from the first aid wing overruled. I quickly walked down the halls, following the signs, until I reached an open room with beds similar to those in the bunker but much nicer. The bed frames were wooden with navy blue bedspreads. They were military grade but anything would be better than the old springy excuse for a mattress that I had spent a month with. A few others from the bunker were milling about, already wearing their clean clothes which were military-issued tan shirts and loose cargo pants. My bed was near the back wall along with my mom’s. I grabbed the pile of clothes, reveling in the feel of clean cotton, before heading to the ladies bathroom that was off of the back of the room. I took this time to be a bit selfish. I let the feeling of the hot water wash away the last month. Everything except for Ashton. I washed away my fears and anxieties, letting a comfortable numbness overcome me. I thought for sure that I would break, crumble at the hands of my fears but I was safe. I had my mom and Ashton, and I was one step closer to being home. I watched as shampoo bubbles circled the drain at my feet. When I was finished, I lazily dried myself with a fresh towel, something I hadn’t had in what felt like an eternity. I reminded myself to never again take advantage of the little things in life, like clean underwear. I hummed in content as I pulled on the clean clothing before wrapping my wet hair into the towel.

  
Back in the barracks, I spotted Ashton sporting a hospital gown and picking up his clean clothes. He blushed up to the tips of his ears when he saw me giggling.

  
“Hospital gowns are high fashion today.” He said as he strutted like a model towards the men’s bathrooms.

  
If his pale butt cheek peeked through the gap in his gown as he walked away, well, nobody would know but me.

  
When everyone was settled, a high-commanding officer came into the barracks to tell us that we would be meeting with the people who would figure out where we would be going after this. Ashton and I shared a knowing glance before smiling. The officer also said that we would be learning about the incident we survived and we could work on contacting family members. We were dismissed for dinner, a real dinner with real food, shortly after. My mouth was already watering as we made our way down to the mess hall. About half way through dinner, I was convinced I was actually in heaven. Mess hall food wasn’t a five star gourmet cuisine but it was better than an MRE. Anything was better than an MRE. Spirits were high all around since we had good food, clean clothes, and access to showers that were on unlimited water. Everyone chatted casually and I listened in on people talking about moving out to other countries and states, finding family to reunite with, I even heard someone mention chocolate. We were put on an 8 pm curfew so the barracks were dark and quiet by 9. My bed was cold without Ashton, though he was just a few yards away. I waited, watching the moon out of the window rise higher and higher into the night sky. When it was almost directly above, I carefully slid out of bed and tip toed down to Ashton’s.

  
“You’re awake too?” He whispered.

  
He was lying on top of his sheets with his arms tucked under his head. I nodded before curling into his side. Ashton brought an arm down to wrap around my waist. We sat in silence for a short time before he spoke again.

  
“Do you ever wonder if this is all a dream and we’ll wake up like nothing happened?”

  
I sat up, propping myself on an elbow. “Kinda. It’s so surreal isn’t it?”

  
“Yeah.” He breathed out before taking my chin and gently guiding my lips to his.

  
We kissed lazily, just relishing in each other’s presence. Ashton’s hands splayed across my back and traced patterns as we breathed. He pulled away, peppering a few more kisses over my cheeks while I frowned at the loss of his lips.

  
“You’re so brave.” He whispered as he tucked me against his side again.

  
“You make me brave.” I said as I kissed lightly along his neck.

  
Ashton let out a breathy groan as I moved closer to his collarbone. My body warmed, fueled by the sounds he made when my lips pressed to his skin. I placed one more gentile kiss below his ear before nuzzling into his chest. Ashton whined in protest.

  
“We need to get some sleep.” I giggled quietly. “Goodnight.”

  
“Goodnight, you tease.” He said before resting his cheek on top of my head.

 

***

 

The meeting in the morning was simple. The United States was now at war with North Korea. Nuclear weapons had been volleyed between us and it went from there, there wasn’t really much else to say. Silence filled the room as we soaked in this new information. After being told that counseling was available to those who were seeking it, we were told to wait to be called to meet with an officer about living arrangements. When my mom and I were called together, Ashton stood and followed us. Inside the office we were led to, a high commanding officer sat behind a large mahogany desk. He welcomed us with an easy smile, gesturing to the chairs in front of him.

 

“I believe I only asked for the Carver ladies.” The officer looked to Ashton.

  
“I’m with them.” He nodded confidently.

  
The officer eyed him before taking a pen into his hand and opening a legal pad to a fresh page.

  
“Ladies, prior to this incident, you were living in Los Angeles. As you know, much of the US has been targeted by North Korea and is in a similar condition to what you saw. As far as moving you somewhere safe, what did you have in mind?”

  
I looked between Ashton and my mom before speaking. “We’d like to go to Sydney, Australia.”

  
The officer scratched down some notes before leaning forward. “Judging by your accent Mister-“

  
“Irwin.” Ashton added.

  
“Mister Irwin, you must be from Australia. So I have to ask you, do you have family or a safe place to go once you arrive?”

  
“Yes, sir. My mum lives just outside of Sydney and she’d be more than happy to have us.”

  
I watched as the officer wrote a few more things before setting his pen down. “So, I’ll put this request in for you. When everything is cleared, you’ll be headed to Sydney in about two days. I’ll have you stop at the closest US base there to make sure everything is settled and you’ll be on your way.”

  
My chest expanded with relief. Again, we were moving closer to being home. We were dismissed and sent back to the barracks for the rest of the afternoon.

 

***

  
I cupped my chin in my hand as I watched the tops of the clouds moving slowly beneath me. The dull hum of the engines was lulling me into a state of lethargy the longer we were up in the sky. Ashton was zoned out beside me, watching a movie on the small TV mounted in the seat in front of him, while my mom was sleeping soundly beside him. I had been prescribed some anxiety pills to help with flying before leaving the base earlier this morning and they had put my brain into a fog, but I didn’t mind. I was just happy to be in the sky, getting closer and closer to our final destination. Breathing deeply, I rested my head back against the seat and let my eyes slip shut. Only eighteen more hours to go.

 

***

 

The airport in Sydney was packed. It felt like years since I had seen so many people. Walking hand in hand with Ashton, I took in the terminal around me. Couples were hugging goodbye, children were reunited with their dads or moms, and then there was a woman barreling towards us like a freight train.

  
“Oh, my baby!” She nearly cried as she gathered Ashton into her arms. Ashton's brother and sister joined the pile.

  
“Mum,” Ashton patted her back. “It’s okay.”

  
My mom rested an arm around my shoulders, smiling at the sight. Ashton’s mom was a mess of running mascara and words I couldn’t understand as she held him in her arms like he was going to disappear if she let him go. They hugged for a moment longer, Ashton rubbing and gently patting her back, before she released him. I watched with misty eyes as he ruffled his brother's hair and kissed his sister on the top of her head.

  
“And who are these lovely ladies?” She said, addressing my mom and I after wiping under her eyes.

  
“This is Victoria and her mum Marie.” He said with a proud smile.

  
“I’m Anne-Marie,” She said with a wink to my mom. “But you can call me Anne if you like. The little ones are Harry and Lauren.”

  
Without warning, she pulled us both into a hug before pulling Ashton in as well. I learned quickly that Anne is a very affectionate person.

  
“Now let’s get you all settled in. Sounds like you’ve had quite a month from what Ash told me when he phoned a few days ago. I’ve been worried sick about my boy starting when he didn’t answer my calls after two days. He’s such a mummy’s boy, we talk on the phone every day almost.” Anne pulled away from the group, taking harry and Lauren in hand, and started towards the exit of the airport with Ashton groaning in embarrassment and following not too far behind her..

  
“I think Anne and I will be great friends.” My mom said before catching up to her in the terminal.

  
From behind them, I could already hear the exchange of awful baby stories. Ashton and I shared a look and a cringe as we laced our fingers together. The look of happiness on my mom’s face was a relief though. We were finally out of the mess of the war and somewhere safe. I was with Ashton in Sydney where we could begin again, and go on proper dates. Ashton must have sensed my change in mood because he gave me a quick kiss on the cheek before we emerged from the airport and into the bright afternoon sun. We were home.

 

**Author's Note:**

> To anyone who made it to the end, thank you for reading. Even that alone is enough praise! I hope you enjoyed my first public piece (we won't talk about my old wattpad fic). Kudos and comments would be much appreciated.  
> You can find me on tumblr as bun-squad if you so wish.  
> All the love, M xx


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